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Norman Bruce

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Norman Bruce
Birth nameNorman Scott Bruce
Date of birth(1932-06-28)28 June 1932
Place of birthEdinburgh, Scotland
Date of death28 March 1992(1992-03-28) (aged 59)
Place of deathKinnerley, England
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
- Gala YM ()
- Gala ()
1957- Blackheath ()
- Royal Army Ordnance Corps ()
- Army Rugby Union ()
- Combined Services ()
1960-66 London Scottish ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1955 South of Scotland District ()
1957 Whites Trial ()
1957 Scotland Probables ()
1957- Hampshire ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1958-64 Scotland 31 (9)

Norman Bruce (28 June 1932 – 28 March 1992) was a Scotland rugby union international player.[1]

Rugby Union career

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Amateur career

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Bruce first played for Gala YM and then Gala.[2]

The Berwickshire News and General Advertiser of 1 February 1955 notes:[3]

There will be no early return of Norman Bruce as a regular player for Gala. The popular Gala hooker, who is now a sergeant in the R.A.O.C., has signed on with the Army for a 22-year engagement. Bruce has been doing well in Army Rugby and is hooking for an Army XV. against the Civil Service in a side which includes seven internationalists. One of his props will be Hughie McLeod, the Hawick cap. The permanent loss of Bruce is a big blow to the Netherdale club.

He played for Blackheath.[4][5][6] He brought the Blackheath side back to Gala shortly after he moved to England and they won the Gala Sevens that year.[7] While he was back in Galashiels he managed to sneak in a match for Gala YM over Hawick YM in the Border Junior League.[7]

He then played for the Army Rugby Union.[4] He played for the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, captained the Army side, and played for Combined Services.[8]

He then played for London Scottish.[4][9]

Provincial career

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He played for South of Scotland District in 1955.[10]

He played for Whites Trial against Blues Trial in 1957, while still with Blackheath.[5]

After impressing in that trial match he was selected for Scotland Probables against Scotland Possibles two weeks later.[6]

He played for Hampshire.[8] The Hampshire County side usually played him out of position as a prop, though he did captain the side.[11]

International career

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He was capped by Scotland 31 times between 1958 and 1964.[12]

He played for the Barbarians in 1957.[13]

Military career

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He joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps around 1955–56. He was posted to Brunei as a Major. He was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and ran the Army School of Physical Training, before moving to Regimental Wing COD Donnington.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Norman Scott Bruce". ESPN scrum.
  2. ^ "Honour for ex-Gala player and president Frank C Entwistle".
  3. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ a b c Scotland. The Essential History of Rugby Union. Nick Oswald and John Griffiths. Headline Book Publishing. 2003
  5. ^ a b "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  6. ^ a b "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  7. ^ a b "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ a b c "Obituary for BRUCE, Norman S. - RLC Digital Archive". www.rlcarchive.org.
  9. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  11. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Rugby Union - ESPN Scrum - Statsguru - Player analysis - Norman Bruce - Test matches". ESPN scrum.
  13. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.